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B.) Through sharp contrast, a character foil enhances certain traits of a central character. Analyze how secondary characters operate as foils and are employed to develop theme in Hamlet.In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, it is proven that secondary characters help develop the understanding of the main character as foils. Foils help the reader make comparisons between the major and minor characters through parallels. During the play we see many of Hamlet’s strengths and weaknesses through characters like Laertes and Fortinbras. Other minor characters include Ophelia, Polonius, and Gertrude who contributes to Hamlets so called madness, which helps develop the theme of a hero’s fatal flaw of overthinking leading to tragedy. In this essay I will explain the similarities, differences and relationships between each foil and how their behaviors affect Hamlet personally. Throughout the play Hamlet displays a difficulty in making final decisions due to his overthinking unlike Laertes and Fortinbras who tends to make rash decisions based upon feelings. Firstly, Hamlet’s inability to kill Claudius is foiled by Fortinbras’ willingness to avenge his father’s lost kingdom over a small piece of land. Secondly, Hamlet and Laertes have different types relationships with their fathers, Hamlet despises Claudius where as Laertes loved Polonius. These relationships cause both Laertes and Hamlet wanting to avenge the murders of their fathers but for different reasons. While Laertes is determined to instantly retaliate, Hamlet on the other hand prolongs his revenge due to his natural flaw of overanalyzing. Thirdly, both Laertes and Hamlet have similar obsessions towards their women and the preservation of sanctity. Hamlet is confused and enraged about his mother’s incestuous marriage to his uncle and Laertes is anxious about his sister’s relationship with Hamlet. The parallels between the secondary foils help the audiences gain a better understanding of Hamlet’s fatal flaw of over-processing throughout the play.

In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Fortinbras the prince of Norway and Hamlet the prince of Denmark share many similarities and differences thus making Fortinbras an important secondary character and a foil to Hamlet. Fortinbras’ father was slain by Hamlet’s father and Hamlet’s father, Hamlet Sr was poisoned his brother Claudius who is now the king of Denmark. Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor and Hamlet wishes to someday kill Claudius as revenge for his father. “This is th’impostume of much wealth and peace, that inward breaks and shows no cause without why the man dies” (A.4.s4, 26-28). Hamlet remarks on Fortinbras invasion and views it as unnecessary but Fortinbras tells the captain to lie to the king assuring him that his only intentions were to travel through Denmark to get to Poland. This is the first time Fortinbras is shown as a real and imminent threat to the state of Denmark. “Why yet I live to say this thing’s to do, Sith I have cause and will and strength and means to do’t.” (A.4.s4, 43-44). Hamlet contemplates his purpose of living and questions why he cannot go through with murdering Claudius. He is coming to a realization that his plan is taking a long time to execute and every single advantage is on his side except the act itself. “Witness this army of such mass and charge led by a delicate and tender prince, whose spirit divine ambition puffed makes mouths at the invisible event, exposing what is moral and unsure to all that fortune, death, and danger dare, even for an eggshell” (A.4.s4, 46-52). Hamlet shows admiration for the prince’s ambition to fight for no good reason but is aware of the severity of war. In this scene we see Hamlet succumbing to his over analytic thought process while Fortinbras is planning to defeat the king with little judgment. Fortinbras ability to act foils Hamlet’s inability to act, while Fortinbras is attacking without regard towards himself, his men or his country...

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...Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare that very
closely follows the dramatic conventions of revenge in Elizabethan
theater. All revenge tragedies originally stemmed from the Greeks, who
wrote and performed the first plays. After the Greeks came Seneca who
was very influential to all Elizabethan tragedy writers. Seneca who
was Roman, basically set all of the ideas and the norms for all
revenge play writers in the Renaissance era including William
Shakespeare. The two most famous English revenge tragedies written in
the Elizabethan era were Hamlet, written by Shakespeare and The
Spanish Tragedy, written by Thomas Kyd. These two plays used mostly
all of the Elizabethan conventions for revenge tragedies in their
plays. Hamlet especially incorporated all revenge conventions in one
way or another, which truly made Hamlet a typical revenge play.
"Shakespeare's Hamlet is one of many heroes of the Elizabethan and
Jacobean stage who finds himself grievously wronged by a powerful
figure, with no recourse to the law, and with a crime against his
family to avenge."
Seneca was among the greatest authors of classical tragedies
and there was not one educated Elizabethan who was unaware of him or
his plays. There were certain stylistic and different strategically
thought out devices that Elizabethan playwrights including Shakespeare
learned and used from Seneca's...

...﻿Hamlet, Polonius and Laertes’ characters towards Gertrude and Ophelia where they are constructed as being weak, obedient and dependent on men. Attitudes to gender have changed since Elizabethan times and the writing of Shakespeare’s Hamlet; however they remain highly pertinent to our understanding of roles and relationships in society. The discourse of gender within Hamlet conforms to the Elizabethan era but challenges a contemporary audience. When reading and analysing Hamlet, contemporary audiences need to understand that gender roles and responsibilities in society have evolved significantly since Elizabethan times.
As a character, Gertrude is defeminised by the patriarchal society by being depicted as weak, obedient and dependent on men. Her dependence on men is portrayed when she marries Claudius within two months of King Hamlet’s death. In a patriarchal society, Gertrude couldn’t lead on her own as Queen as men were considered to be the leaders and women their inferiors, therefore Gertrude couldn’t spare any time to grieve over her late husband, for she must find another man to depend on, who turns out to be her husband's brother, Claudius. Although Gertrude is a queen, and a woman of high status and power, she is not treated
so due to the social norms of the Elizabethan Era. Gertrude is never truly given the respect that she deserves as royalty because she is a woman, and that is what the men in the play...

...Shakespeare’s Hamlet has and intricate plot formed by the characters and themes throughout it. One major idea is Hamlet’s changing sanity, which fluctuates through the play as a performance and as a true madness. The other main theme which develops the play is the act of vengeance, with the delay and doubt that accompanies it. These themes, along with dramatic devices and the characters in the plot, add to the textual integrity of the play.
There is a duality to the character of Hamlet, as his madness changes from a performance to true insanity throughout the play. Initially, in Act 1 Scene 5, Hamlet is coerced by the ghost and decides that he will “put an antic disposition on”. This is the main use of dramatic irony in the play, as the audience knows Hamlet’s madness is performed. However as the play develops and changes, so too does Hamlet’s madness. Act 3 Scene 4 is the main turning point for Hamlet’s madness. The scene begins with a confrontation between Gertrude and Hamlet.
Gertrude: “Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended”
Hamlet: “Mother, you have my father much offended”
The use of stichomythia in this conversation creates a sense of violence between the characters. It also confirms to the audience that Hamlet’s madness is still a performance, because he can respond quickly and with wit. When this is juxtaposed with Ophelia’s legitimate insanity, it becomes clear that...

...In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, suicide is an important and continuous theme throughout the play. Hamlet is the main character who contemplates the thought of suicide many different times throughout the play, since the murder of his father. Hamlet weighs the advantages of leaving his miserable life with the living, for possibly a better but unknown life with the dead. Hamlet seriously contemplates suicide, but decides against it, mainly because it is a mortal sin against God. Hamlet continues to say that most of humanity would commit suicide and escape the hardships of life, but do not because they are unsure of what awaits them in the after life. Hamlet throughout the play is continually tormented by his fathers death and his inability to get revenge and Claudius and on several occasions seriously considers suicide, but always ends up backing out because it is a sin forbidden by God. Opehlia, on the other hand, is driven mad by her father's murder and by Hamlet's betrayal and commits suicide. But because she is part of the royal family, her sin is forgiven and she is given a full Christian burial, despite even the priests' suspicions about the cause of her death. With suicide being so openly displayed and discussed in the play, it seems that suicide was not on any social level, considered anything degrading or disrespectful.
We first see Hamlet contemplate...

...mystery of Shakespeare&#8217;s Hamlet is a phantom of literary debate that has haunted readers throughout the centuries. Hamlet is a complete enigma; a puzzle scholars have tried to piece together since his introduction to the literary world. Throughout the course of Hamlet the reader is constantly striving to rationalize Hamlet&#8217;s odd behavior, mostly through the play&#8217;s written text. In doing so, many readers mistakenly draw their conclusions based on the surface content of Hamlet&#8217;s statements and actions. When drawing into question Hamlet&#8217;s actions as well as his reasons for acting, many assume that Hamlet himself is fully aware of his own motives. This assumption in itself produces the very matter in question. Take for example Hamlet&#8217;s hesitation to kill the king. Hamlet believes that his desire to kill King Claudius is driven by his fathers&#8217; demand for revenge. If this were true, Hamlet would kill Claudius the moment he has the chance, if not the moment he knows for sure that Claudius is guilty of murdering his father. Why does Hamlet hesitate? One must call into question what Hamlet holds to be true. If Hamlet&#8217;s given motivation for killing the king is legitimate, then Claudius should die at about Act 3. Because Hamlet&#8217;s...

...Chloe Jeffery – 2090 words
To What Extent is Act One an Effective Opening to Hamlet?
The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare is set in the late sixteenth century. Most scenes take place in the grounds of the Danish castle at Elsinore. The story begins almost immediately with a brief yet abrupt five scene act entailing the state of affairs within the Court of Denmark. Each scene contributes to the overall exposition significantly and Act One effectively captures the interest of the audience, introduces the key characters, establishes the conflicts and creates and maintains the dominant atmosphere of the play.
Act One Scene One instantly sets the atmosphere and mood for the rest of the play. The atmosphere is one of dark battlements, and nervous sentries, which catches the audience’s
attention right away .The play starts off with a question “Who’s there?” This immediately creates a mysterious, uneasy atmosphere which the audience can clearly pick up and is able to establish a clear understanding of events to come. This scene effectively sets a strong mood for the events to come, gives important background information, and introduces the main characters.
The first Act proves to be a vital element to understanding the play. One important task it serves is to determine the mood of the play. From the beginning of the scene, the reader is aware of the atmosphere of mistrust and uncertainty lingering in the air. When the audience are...

...﻿A Critical Analysis on Hamlet
In one of the greatest plays, Hamlet, William Shakespeare introduces a tragic story of the royal family of Denmark, which contains elements of politics, loyalty, heroism, friendship, and love. Allan Massie, a writer for The spectator, argues that Prince Hamlet is “an indecisive and self-questioning Romantic intellectual (the Gielgud interpretation), or as a mixed-up kid, immature, uncertain of himself, veering from self-love to self-loathing by way of self-pity.” However, Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, seems to be a completely different person at the end of the play compared to the beginning. After the death of his father, the quick remarriage of his mother, the potential true cause of death of his father, and the rotten state of Denmark, Hamlet, the protagonist of the play, learns a lot intellectually. Hamlet changes dramatically over the course of the play and teaches readers humanity through his dramatic experiences in his life.
Hamlet is a philosophy college student in Wittenberg, where has a close relation to Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation during the Renaissance. By the influence of Protestantism, Hamlet develops his own philosophy critically. However, his immaturity appears when he is called back to Denmark and hears his father’s death. He is very depressed and unable to control his emotion because of his father’s...

...Singh | 5
Maheep Singh
Ms. Campbell
ENG4U
01/10/12
Mental deterioration in Hamlet
​William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet explores the thought process of a man on a mission for revenge and the psychological factors associated with it. By making Hamlet an over-contemplating protagonist Shakespeare is successfully able to explore the thought process of someone out to get revenge. A major theme in the play Hamlet is mental deterioration. Hamlet’s antics blur the line between acting and real madness, Ophelia loses her ability to rationalize after losing Hamlet then her father, Laertes loses self control and resolve after learning of his father’s murder and sister’s suicide.
​To start with, Hamlet’s antics start out as a ruse to find out more about the murder and confirm that Claudius was the real killer, but as time goes on there are delays as to acquiring the information due to Hamlet’s indecisiveness. By over-thinking Hamlet loses control over reality and his purpose, also he drifts off in thought which clouds his mind of reason. He acts disarranged when Polonius comes to question him, giving him odd answers laced with minute observations about him. Later on his antics just become self destructive when he denounces Ophelia. His ruse during the play is too convincing, but the real proof of his madness is his rash murder of Polonius, when he says “How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!”...